With fewer than two weeks left in early voting, Future Alamance, with support from a number of other county organizations, held their soles-to-the-polls event Sunday evening without a hitch.
The event culminated at the Elmira Community Center on Wicker Street in Burlington, the first early voting precinct held in a majority black Alamance neighborhood. Planned weeks in advance, the Alamance County soles-to-the-polls event had parishioners and residents alike take time off on Sunday to cast their ballots in the upcoming presidential election.
“I wanted to come out and make a difference,” said Alamance resident William Rembert, one of many participants in the event. “We want to see some change and [early voting] is good for the seniors.”
Sunday’s soles-to-the-polls event was one part a get-out-the-vote initiative and one part political rally. Candidates running for a number of offices joined in on the event to plead their case to voters.
“When we vote, we win,” North Carolina House District 63 candidate Ricky Hurtado said at Sunday’s event. “By Nov. 3 there will be a change in Alamance County.”
Hurtado urged voters to cast their ballots for him and thanked organizers for the chance to take part in the event. Hurtado said soles-to-the-polls events are an important method for empowering people to exercise their right to vote.
Cameron Mullins, a voter and Elon University student, agreed with him.
"I think this is really good,” Mullins said. “A lot of Americans forget they have the power to vote.”
The march started in the Dollar General parking lot on Rauhut Street. Participants marched and drove from their to the Elmira Community Center, with a police escort.
Once at the community center participants met up with other early voters and a number of other candidates on the ballot.
Schoolboard incumbent Patsy Simpson said she was encouraged to see so many participants in the day’s event. Coming back from out of town, her first stop was at Sunday’s soles-to-the-polls event.
“I’m very happy that we are having this today, we’re going to have a little bit of fun with it today, serving food, but it’s history in the making,” Simpson said.
Scott Huffman agreed. Both he and Simpson highlighted the significance of this being the first time an early voting precinct was open in a majority black neighborhood.
“I support the idea of a national holiday to vote,” Huffman said. “I’ve been excited about the number of absentee ballots. It’s more compared to where we were four years ago.”
District Court Judge candidate Doug Green emphasized fairness.
“Please understand that I am not biased, I am fair and equitable, because if there is a ruling you need to know how and why,” Green said before the growing audience at Sunday’s event. “My mother and father, my grandmother and grandfather, they fought and died so that we can vote. It is not only our responsibility, it is our duty to go to the polls and vote.”
